Contents

St Leonard's was founded as a chapel of ease to the parish church in Blackburn during the reign of Henry VII; the usual date given is 1504. The fabric of the building deteriorated until in 1852 it was decided to replace it with a new church. Construction of this started during that year, and the present church was consecrated in 1854. It was designed by the Preston architect R. B. Rampling.[3] The tower and spire were added in 1906–07 by the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley.[4][5]

The church is constructed in sandstonerubble with slate roofs. Its plan consists of a four-baynave, and a chancel at a lower level with a north organ chamber and a projection to the south.[2] There is a polygonal baptistry at the west end, and a slim tower and spire at the west end of the north side of the nave. The baptistry has three windows, and above this is a three-light west window with a pointed head. The nave is divided into bays by buttresses, each bay containing a two-light window containing Geometrictracery. Projecting from the roof, on each side, are two timber dormer windows. The tower has diagonal buttresses, and contains a doorway with a pointed arch. The bell openings have two lights, and are louvred. The tower is surmounted by a parapet and a recessed spire. The east window has five lights under a pointed head, and contains Geometric tracery. Inside the church is an open timber roof.[2] The two-manualpipe organ was made in 1872 by Henry Willis, and restored in 1974 by N. P. Mander.[6]

In the churchyard, to the south of the church is a sandstone sundial dating possibly from the early 19th century, and re-erected at the beginning of the 20th century. It has an octagonal sandstone base with five limestone columns and a circular sandstone top containing a brass gnomon. The sundial is listed at Grade II.[7] The churchyard also contains the war graves of six World War I soldiers.[8]